A comment about vocal music in another thread made me think of Villa-Lobos' gorgeous and haunting Bachianas Brasileiras No. 5. The first few minutes are wordless and I think this would be an amazing piece for a woman who could really interpret it, maybe someone like Carolina Kostner -- too bad she's retiring!

This interpretation by the Brasilian soprano Bidu Sayao, who sang at the Met in the '30s and '40s, is one of the finest ever. Hope you enjoy it.

I love that piece! And I have always loved Bidu Sayao's rendition of it. Another one I love is from an unexpected source: Joan Baez. When she was young and her voice was almost unreal, she recorded this work with the cellos. It gives me gooseflesh every time. I agree that Kostner would do this piece justice, and I think Mao would also.